| Present La Soufrière Alert Level: | ORANGE | There is a highly elevated level of seismic and/or fumarolic activity or other unusual activity. An eruption may begin with less than twenty-four hours’ notice. |
The National Emergency Management Organization, in their latest bulletin, advised that the camera set up at the La Soufrière Volcano was replaced.
Photos released by the UWI SRC, taken by Dr. Thomas Christopher, showed damage to the camera due to volcanic gases despite it being encased.
The camera and other damaged equipment was replaced by the scientific team on the ground.
NEMO continued, “There are plans in place to install a new seismic station at Bamboo Range on the eastern (Windward) side of the volcano. Equipment for installation is being prepared by the Seismic Research Centre and Soufrière Monitoring Unit Team. Some maintenance work was done on the equipment installed at NEMO and this station is now fully operational.”
As of February 12th, 2021, the new lava dome is approximately 6.83 million cubic meters, a volume that can fill 2,500 Olympic-sized pools or three times the volume of The Great Pyramid of Giza. The lava dome is 90 meters high, 232 meters wide and 618 meters long, spreading along the crater of the La Soufrière Volcano.
NEMO staff will be conducting a drive-through in the Rose Bank Community on Friday 26th February 2021. The purpose of this drive-through is to update residents on the state of the La Soufrière Volcano, and to provide information on evacuation procedures and individual preparedness.
There is NO ‘explosive’ eruption at the La Soufrière volcano at this time. La Soufrière continues to have effusive eruptions as hot magma reaches the surface at extreme temperatures. This appears in the night as fire or a bright red glow above the crater. As the dome gets higher and closer to the crater’s rim, this phenomenon will continue to be visible on clear nights.
The alert level remains at Orange. The volcano continues to exude magma on the surface and steam can still be observed from the Belmont Observatory. Persons living in areas close to the volcano should expect strong sulfur smells for several days to weeks, depending on changes in wind direction.
The NEMO is reminding the public that no evacuation order or notice has been issued. NEMO continues to appeal to the public to desist from visiting the La Soufrière Volcano and especially going into the crater since doing so is extremely dangerous.
The @uwiseismic and NEMO continue to advise access to the #LaSoufriere Volcano is strictly prohibited at this time….
Posted by Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center on Thursday, January 14, 2021
According to the SRC, the new volcanic dome is extremely dangerous for those in close proximity as it can explode at any time without warning. People have been killed in this way. This warning comes as images from a birthday photoshoot surfaced on social media.
Official information will originate from St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Emergency Management Organization and the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center.
